Suction nozzle



March 12, 1963 E. R. CARLBERG ETAL 3,

SUCTION NOZZLE Filed. Feb. 19, 1959 HIIIIIIIIIIIII fLakleekJ b cl ENTOR5 m 0770mm? ate dfidfifihg Patented Mar. 12, 1963 nice 3,080,599 SUQTION NUZZLE Erik Reinhold tiarlberg, Stockholm, and Karl John Walliborg, Stoclrholm-Vallinghy, Sweden, assignors to Aktieholaget Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Feb. 19, 195%, der. No. 794,446 Claims priority, application Sweden Feb. 22, 1958 3 Qlaims. (Ci. -421) This invention relates to means for regulating the suction of vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to valve means disposed between the inlet opening of the suction nozzle and the fan of a vacuum cleaner and serving to regulate the suction at such inlet opening responsive to conditions incident to the cleaning operation being effected by said nozzle.

The principal object of the invention is to devise improved valve means which is embodied in the nozzle structure itself.

In the preferred form of the invention, said valve means is adapted to be operated by pressure on the surface being cleaned.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which drawing:

KG. 1 is a vertical transverse section along a plane parallel with the direction of movement of a suction nozzle showing an embodiment of the invention, in which the valve means comprises a member constructed to be connected with the suction hose of the cleaner and movable horizontally transversely of the nozzle; and

FIG. 2 is a similar view, showing the valve means in a different position.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner nozzle comprises an elongated hollow body 10, having an inlet or suction opening 11, the edges of wihch are preferably rounded. A valve body is displaceable horizontally and transversely of the nozzle. It comprises a hollow cylindrical member 65 closed at its front end by a wall 68, and having at its rear end an angularly disposed socket 69, adapted to receive the usual wand or tubular shaft 61 to which the hose is connected. The nozzle body It) includes a cylindrical barrel 10' in which the valve member 65 may freely slide. The forward end of this barrel is closed by a head 69, and screwed into the rear end is a locking ring '71 which surrounds the socket portion 60. This socket portion, where it passes through the ring 71, is of smaller diameter than the cylindrical valve member 65, thus forming an annular shoulder 70 between these two parts. A compression spring 67 surrounds the portion of smaller diameter and is confined between the annular shoulder iii and the lock ring 71. A similar spring 66 is confined between the head 69 and the front end wall 68 of the valve member, so that the valve member is balanced by these two springs.

The lower side of the barrel fit is formed with two openings or slots 62 and 63, and the edge 64 of the slot 63 constitutes a seat for engagement by the valve memher as, to close the slot, as shown in FIG. 1.

A segmental notch 74 is cut out of the lower side of the valve member 65, this notch being of such width as to bridge the inlet or suction opening 11 of the nozzle and slot 63, and being of a height commensurate with the length of this slot. Thus, it is the edge of notch 74 which co-operates with the seat 64 to close the slot 63.

When the nozzle is pushed forwardly over a rug, the front spring 66 will be compressed as shown in FIG. 1, and the valve member 65 will close the slot 63, as described, so that all the air is drawn in through the inlet opening 11, thus providing the maximum suction. When the nozzle is pulled back, the spring 67 is compressed and the slot 63 opened, as shown in FIG. 2, thus admitting outside air into the nozzle and reducing the suction therein.

The space between the end wall 68 and the head 69 is in communication with the outer air through opening 62, during the reciprocation of the valve member 65, so that there can be no air cushion or vacuum in this space to interfere with the free movement of the valve member.

The above described arrangement is particularly advantageous in the cleaning of thin rugs, which, with the conventional cleaner tend to cling to the suction inlet of the nozzle when the nozzle is moved in a direction from the free edge of the rug. With the present invention, this is avoided. The usual procedure is for the operator to stand on the rug and move the cleaning nozzle back and forth over it. In pushing the nozzle 16 from him toward a free edge of the rug, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, especially when trying to loosen dirt firmly held in the rug, the natural tendency of the operator is to press down on the nozzle it} with the wand 61. This compresses the spring 66 and closes the valve opening 63, as described and shown in FIG. 1, thus causing the entire suction produced by the fan to be available at the inlet opening 11 of the nozzle It? for effective cleaning. When drawing the nozzle Ill back toward himself from the free edge of the rug, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, the operator does not press down on the nozzle with wand 61, and the spring expands, thereby opening the valve opening 63, admitting outside air to the nozzle, and reducing the suction at the suction inlet 11. Thus, during the rearward or back stroke, the suction is reduced to such an extent as to prevent any tendency of the rug to cling to the inlet opening 11 of the nozzle, and the rug remains smooth and fiat on the floor.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, a nozzle comprising a hollow body including front and rear spaced walls having bottom lip portions defining a suction inlet normally movable forward and backward on the surface, the nozzle body having an outlet and further including wall means defining a chamber of cylindrical form whose axis is substantially parallel to the direction the nozzle is normally moved forward and backward on the surface, the chamber being removed from the inlet and forming a part of the path of flow for air from the inlet to the outlet, the effective size of the inlet being the same when the nozzle is moved forward and rearward in the normal direction with its suction inlet in contact with the surface, the chamber wall means being apertured to provide an opening therein, a sleeve valve member comprising a hollow cylindrical element which is axially movable in the chamber at the immediate vicinity of its wall means, the hollow element being apertured to establish communication between the inlet and the interior of the chamber and to provide a path of flow into the interior of the chamber for air passing through the opening in the chamber wall means, structure including said valve member for decreasing the size of the opening during forward movement of the nozzle responsive to forward thrust applied thereto while its inlet is in contact with the surface and for increasing the size of the opening during rearward movement of the nozzle responsive to a pulling force thereon while its inlet is in contact with the surface, and first and second resilient means disposed in the chamber, said first and second resilient means being so formed and arranged that said first resilient means is compressed responsive to movement of the hollow element in one direction during forward movement of the nozzle and said second resilient means is compressed responsive to movement of the hollow element in the opposite direction during rearward movement of the nozzle.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the forward end of the hollow element nearer to the front wall of the nozzle body is closed, and the opposite rear end thereof serves as the outlet of the nozzle.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 which comprises an elbow which is joined to the rear end of the hollow element andincludes an arm extending at an angle to the horizontal in a generally upward direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kroenlein May 2, 1939 Taylor Feb. 12, 1952 Draudt Sept. 13, 1955 Brown Ian. 3, 1-961 Wahlborg API. 11, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION, A NOZZLE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR SPACED WALLS HAVING BOTTOM LIP PORTIONS DEFINING A SUCTION INLET NORMALLY MOVABLE FORWARD AND BACKWARD ON THE SURFACE, THE NOZZLE BODY HAVING AN OUTLET AND FURTHER INCLUDING WALL MEANS DEFINING A CHAMBER OF CYLINDRICAL FORM WHOSE AXIS IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION THE NOZZLE IS NORMALLY MOVED FORWARD AND BACKWARD ON THE SURFACE, THE CHAMBER BEING REMOVED FROM THE INLET AND FORMING A PART OF THE PATH OF FLOW FOR AIR FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET, THE EFFECTIVE SIZE OF THE INLET BEING THE SAME WHEN THE NOZZLE IS MOVED FORWARD AND REARWARD IN THE NORMAL DIRECTION WITH ITS SUCTION INLET IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE, THE CHAMBER WALL MEANS BEING APERTURED TO PROVIDE AN OPENING THEREIN, A SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER COMPRISING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT WHICH IS AXIALLY MOVABLE IN THE CHAMBER AT THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF ITS WALL MEANS, THE HOLLOW ELEMENT BEING APERTURED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER AND TO PROVIDE A PATH OF FLOW INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER FOR AIR PASSING THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE CHAMBER WALL MEANS, STRUCTURE INCLUDING SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR DECREASING THE SIZE OF THE OPENING DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE NOZZLE RESPONSIVE TO FORWARD THRUST APPLIED THERETO WHILE ITS INLET IS IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE AND FOR INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE OPENING DURING REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE NOZZLE RESPONSIVE TO A PULLING FORCE THEREON WHILE ITS INLET IS IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE, AND FIRST AND SECOND RESILIENT MEANS DISPOSED IN THE CHAMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND RESILIENT MEANS BEING SO FORMED AND ARRANGED THAT SAID FIRST RESILIENT MEANS IS COMPRESSED RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE HOLLOW ELEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE NOZZLE AND SAID SECOND RESILIENT MEANS IS COMPRESSED RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE HOLLOW ELEMENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION DURING REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE NOZZLE. 